


I Just Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore.

by babymonkeyonaturtle101



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drinking Games, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Hogwarts Era, M/M, Makeover, Pansy Parkinson is a Good Friend, Party Games, Sharing a Room
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:55:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26242279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babymonkeyonaturtle101/pseuds/babymonkeyonaturtle101
Summary: Harry knows going back to Hogwarts for 'Eight Year' isn't going to be like every other year. The evil madman trying to kill him is dead, for starters. But his arch enemy isn't. Or are they even enemies at all. (Contains lots of the classic tropes like party games, sharing a dorm, a makeover and of course, enemies to lovers)
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 6
Kudos: 30





	1. Something New

**Author's Note:**

> Title from the CLASSIC 80s bop by REO Speedwagon.  
> These characters are not mine but I don't know whose they are just from an authorless book because we support TRANS people, unlike some people...
> 
> I will probably use various headcanons that I see on Tumblr as part of the writing process.

Starting something new is difficult. It can take time and lots of practice but eventually, you realise that it has become familiar. It wasn’t as difficult, and it becomes second nature and you forget how it ever felt alien to you. 

The same things goes for people. When you meet somebody new you may not hit it off but the more time you spend together the more you get used to their presence and they grow on you, albeit like mould in some cases, but you get used to them nevertheless. 

After the war, McGonagall decided to invite the old Seventh Years back to redo their final year. They had been a small year group in the first place and after everything they had been through in the past year, she wanted to ensure they all had great futures in front of them and whilst potential employers would undoubtedly be sympathetic about their lack of NEWTS, she wanted to make sure they went into the world as not only able witches and wizards but also functioning humans in society and not the impulsive teenagers that they are at present. 

This led to the birth of the Eighth Year of Hogwarts which, in short, was Seventh Year with extra freedom and other perks such as having their own individual common room and only having to share a dorm with one other person. Unfortunately for Harry Potter, he had been paired with...

“Draco Bloody Malfoy! McGonagall put you with Malfoy! Doesn’t she know you’re a war hero? You deserve better than this. And I thought getting put with Zabini was bad.”

“Honestly Ron as long as he stays out of my way and doesn’t cause trouble I don’t really mind. I’m just glad to be back at Hogwarts with the rest of our year and I’m not going to let sharing a room with Malfoy ruin this for me.”

“But Harry don’t you remember what he did during the war. What he did to us.”

“Yeah, I suppose I do recall him saving my life.”

“But Harry he’s a Death Eater.”

“Was a Death Eater, Ron.” Harry sighed and rubbed his eyes with the bottom of his palms. 

He loved Ron but Harry was just too tired to have this conversation with him right now. He just wanted to go upstairs and unpack. The other year groups would be arriving tomorrow, and Harry wanted to make sure he was awake early enough to enjoy some peace and quiet in the castle before they got here.  
“Look, I’m the one sharing a room with him, not you, and whilst I’m by no means thrilled about this decision, McGonagall knows what she’s doing so she clearly had a reason for doing this.”  
“Which is” Ron started  
“Which is that by putting Harry and Draco, two people known for feuding with each other since they arrived at this school, in the same dorm and they are able to be amicable with one another then it will set a good example for the rest of the school.” Hermione interrupted, walking down the stairs that led to the girls' dorms. “I think that after everything we went through during the war it is important not to make enemies over trivial manners such as what house you belong to. We’re not that different from each other. After all, Harry was almost a Slytherin and I could have been a Ravenclaw”

“Don’t tell me you expect me to add that the hat wanted me to be a Hufflepuff” Ron butt in.

“I’m not saying that I’m just highlighting that just because the hat sorted you into a house doesn’t mean you only have the traits of that house. McGonagall wants to promote inter-house unity.”

“And her best plan was Harry and Malfoy having a year-long sleepover party?”

“Well think about it. Out of all the houses, Slytherin and Gryffindor have the fiercest rivalry and out of their students, Harry and Draco do. They will figurehead the uniting of the houses. McGonagall wants to show the other students that if they can overcome their difference and be friends then anybody can. Plus, I think by having somebody as widely loved as Harry befriends a Slytherin, she’s ensuring that they don’t get iced out by the rest of the school.”

“Wait a minute, befriend Malfoy? Nobody said anything about being friends with him.

“God Harry, you really are dense sometimes.”

“Wow, Granger. Clearly you’re finally living up to your title as the brightest witch of our age.” Malfoy drawled on his way past the trio and up the stays towards his and Harry’s room. “And Potter, you better not have made a mess of the room before I’ve even gone in.”

Harry watched Malfoy as he walked up the stairs. When Harry had seen him during the Battle of Hogwarts, he had seemed thin and frail but now Harry thought he seemed more…alive. 2 months in the summer sun had brought some colour to his face. His shoulders seemed broader too. And his arms were more muscley. And his-

Harry gulped and then snapped his head back up, hoping neither of his friends had noticed him staring at the blonde but they were still talking about McGonagall’s motives behind the dorm pairings.  
Harry said goodnight to them and that they would chat more tomorrow but that he was tired and wanted to go to sleep. And so he headed upstairs to his dorm, not without first being warned by Ron to watch out for traps Malfoy might have planted, eliciting an eye-roll from both Harry and Hermione, and found himself stood outside the door to his room. He paused to take a breath before walking in where he found Draco finishing unpacking his belongings. Harry got himself ready for bed as did Draco, neither saying a single word and tried his best to go to sleep. 

After the war this had been a rather difficult task for Harry as closing his eyes just gave his brain to play a morbid slideshow of all the horrors he witnessed during the war. Hermione’s screams at Malfoy Manor. The sight of Fred’s lifeless body on the floor of the Great Hall surrounded by sobbing Weasleys. Sometimes he took a potion to help him but most of the time he just let the memories play, knowing eventually exhaustion would take over and he would sleep. 

When Harry awoke the next morning, he saw that Malfoy’s bed was already empty. Assuming that he was already gone from the dorm. However, Harry was wrong. He realised this when two moments later a dripping wet Draco Malfoy walked out of the bathroom towards his side of the room. Harry made a slight noise when he saw Draco which caused Draco’s head to snap over in Harry’s direction, realising that he was now awake. Neither said anything for a few moments. 

“Do you mind? I don’t really appreciate being stared at by you.”

“Sorry I-” Harry stammered, suddenly noticing the scars he caused on Draco’s torso back in Sixth Year. “I’m sorry Malfoy.” 

He said it so quietly, Draco barely heard what he said. Malfoy quickly realised what Harry was referring to and bitterly said: “yes well accidents happen.”

Neither said anything for a moment again before Harry decided to try and initiate a less awkward conversation. “What’s your favourite colour?”

Draco looked up at Harry as if he had just told Draco that he had a foot infection.  
“Are you alright Potter? Is Weasley’s idiocrasy rubbing off on you?”

“No, I’m fine I just- I figured since we’re going to be sharing a room for a year I might as well get to know you.”

“And you think finding out my favourite colour is going to be a great bonding experience for us. You want us to sit around plaiting each other’s hair and telling each other about the people we have crushes on?

“No,” Harry said, a little moody that Malfoy was being such a prick about his suggestion. “I just thought- you know what never mind what I thought.” Harry grabbed his wand and went to go meet Ron and Hermione before breakfast but just as he was walking through the door, he heard a voice. 

“Purple.” 

Harry didn’t stop walking or turn around or say anything. He just walked down the stairs with a much too happy smile on his face. He found his friends sat on a sofa in their Eighth Year Common Room.


	2. Settling In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really busy atm with work but I will be trying my best to get these chapters out as quickly as possible. I don't currently know how long this fic will be. I have lots I want to include but I'm not sure when. I'm going to do my best to make it long however each individual chapter may not be so long, depending on what time I have to write.
> 
> Feel free to comment on any constructive criticism, ideas for where you want or think the story should go or any OCs you want to have a cameo and I'll do my best to take it on board.
> 
> I will be updating the tags as I go but have currently included ones I know will definitely apply at some point.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

The Eighth Year Common Room was similar to the Gryffindor Common Room except it incorporated all the different house colours. In the centre were 2 large brown leather sofas and numerous mismatched armchairs, all covered in lots of throw blankets despite the room being kept warm by a large fireplace.

There was a large table on one side of the room similar to those in the library to give them somewhere to do work together without the distraction of the younger year groups. To the Hufflepuffs’ (and Neville’s) delight there were lots of plants in the room. Hermione and the Ravenclaws particularly liked the bookshelf in the corner with a couple dozen books that would complement their studies. 

The architecture of the room had the grandeur of the Slytherin Common Room but also the cosiness of the Gryffindor common room. Harry had to give it to McGonagall. She had somehow created a space that all of the Eighth Years felt comfortable and at home in.

The three of them headed down to the Great Hall, Ron and Hermione having a conversation about who knows what whilst Harry got distracted by looking at the castle around him.

Every direction he looked he could picture a different student being attacked during the battle. He could hear their screams. He had hoped that after having the summer away from here and thoughts of the war would help him forget about everything, he saw but these things rarely went Harry’s way.

Hermione kept looking at Harry, trying to get him to join in the conversation but she only managed to get him to say a couple of words. When they got to the Great Hall, they noticed that another table had been added in addition to the usual 4 house tables and the staff table where the rest of the Eighth Years that were awake were sat.

They wandered over and sat by Neville who chatting to Dean about something he had read in a Herbology book. Dean didn’t look particularly interested in the conversation topic, but it was clear that he was doing his best to make Neville happy. They both smiled when they saw the trio and started asking what each of their new roommates were like. Hermione was sharing with Pansy Parkinson, Neville was with Michael Corner from Ravenclaw and Dean was with sharing with Goyle.

It seemed that so far none of the Slytherins had done or said anything particularly malicious:  
“Maybe they’ve changed over the Summer,” Hermione suggested whilst pouring Ron a glass of pumpkin juice, not trusting him not to spill it over his jumper, “maybe they’ve grown up and stopped being such bullies.”

“Or maybe they’re just trying to catch us off guard. Make us _think_ they’ve changed.”

“C’mon Ron. Aren’t you going to give them the benefit of the doubt? What happened to innocent until proven guilty?”

“Yeah, maybe the Slytherins won’t act like such dickheads this year.”

Almost as if they had sensed they were being spoken about, Pansy, Draco, Blaise, Greg and Theo Nott walked into the Great Hall, all laughing quite loudly but going silence as soon as they realised that they were being watched.

With no choice as to where else they could go, they sat next to Harry, Ron and Hermione.

Harry quite liked silence. He was good at being alone in his head with his thoughts. Unfortunately, those thoughts were all currently centred around one Draco Malfoy. One Draco Malfoy who looks much taller than he remembered. Harry himself was 5’8 but he had thought Draco was only around 5’9. Now he looked slightly taller than Ron who’s like 6’2.

Harry broke from his trance when he felt a hard kick to his shin from Hermione who had definitely noticed him staring. Harry hoped that she hadn’t realised what he was staring at but this was Hermione so she almost definitely knew.

The silence continued after the Slytherins sat down and continued for a couple of minutes, everyone eating or just staring off into space. Eventually, Pansy decided to speak up. She had sent all of the members of the Golden Trio letters at the start of the summer, apologising for any part she played in the war.

Both Harry and Ron had sent Thank You letters in response and that had been the end of the correspondence. Hermione had somehow managed to somewhat befriend Pansy through their letters and despite not being thick as thieves, they were definitely good acquaintances and got along much better than they ever had in the past, handy when you’re now roommates.

Blaise and Theo hadn’t said anything, but neither of them really played a huge part in the war. Theo realised he couldn’t support his family’s actions so did his best to remain neutral and Blaise well… he was just Blaise.

Harry found it strange seeing Goyle without Crabbe. Goyle himself looked a bit lost: gone was his partner in crime and Draco didn’t seem to be controlling him like he used to. He was free to do what he wanted, and he didn’t seem too sure what he was supposed to do with that information.

Draco was a different matter. Harry had spoked at his trial back in July. He’d heard that Narcissa Malfoy was on trial and wanted to go and speak on her behalf, even if the motive behind her actions was seemingly just wanting to find Draco and not actually to save Harry. Ron and Hermione didn’t think it was a good idea for him to go and told him that it was his choice. Of course, Harry told them that he wasn’t going to go but then changed his mind at the last minute on the day of the trial.

He spoke on Narcissa’s behalf and the Wizengamot gave her 6-month house arrest at the Manor. Harry was just about to leave the Ministry when he saw Draco, whose trial was next. He looked…not like a scared puppy because that made him seem weak. Harry thought he looked incredibly calm and composed. Almost too calm considering his father had just been sentenced to life in Azkaban. His posture was good, his hair was combed to perfection. Anyone who didn’t know him would say that he looked relaxed and confident about his trial.

But Harry knew he wasn’t: he hadn’t spent hours upon hours watching Malfoy in Sixth Year to not recognised the flash of fear in Malfoy’s eyes when they called his name and brought him to the centre of the room, he recognised the way Malfoy rubbed his thumb in circles on the end of his index finger just like he did when Harry saw him in the Astronomy Tower, right before any of the other Death Eaters showed up.  
Harry saw that whilst Malfoy looked grown up like an adult, he was still the same child who got scared in detention in the Forbidden Forest in their First Year and ran away screaming with Fang.

So when it came time for witnesses to come forwards and speak on Malfoy’s behalf, he left the spot where he had been lurking in the corner and made his way towards the middle of the room. Hushed voices filled the room, clearly in shock that The Great Harry Potter wanted to speak on behalf of yet another Malfoy. Even Draco looked surprised.

So Harry spoke. He spoke about how he had watched Draco in Sixth Year and his attempts to kill Dumbledore were half-hearted. That he was there in the Astronomy Tower that night, how Draco’s wand was lowering before the other Death Eaters came in, how Draco was no different than Harry other than the side of the war they were born on. He told them how Malfoy had the opportunity to give him up to Voldemort, knowing full well that it was Harry especially as he was with Ron and Hermione, and didn’t.

That Draco Malfoy saved his life, despite putting himself at risk by doing so and that without him, the war might have ended a very different way.

There was a stunned silence.

And Harry walked out.

He hadn’t seen Malfoy since then...until now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am in the process of writing the next few chapters. Hopefully Ch.3 will be up in the next week (she says on the 22/09/20...don’t hold me to this) I’m just having a crazy life atm.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay and sorry that the chapter isn't very long. Honestly the past fortnight has been so hectic and stressful as the next month or two probably will be. I'm gonna do my best to keep churning out these chapters when I can. Hope you enjoy this little extra bit!

Draco sat down at the Eighth Year dinner table. Unfortunately, on the opposite side of the table was one Harry Potter who was currently staring Draco down with the his incredibly bright green eyes. Draco did his best to ignore this and turned to Pansy who was sat next to him.

This turned out to be a mistake and he realised as such when he saw the glimmer in her eyes but it was too late. She had started asking him questions about his ‘love life’. Anything to try and make him squirm or break his ice cold exterior in front of Harry.

“How are things going with Astoria, Draco.”  
“As expected.”  
“No juicy details.”  
Draco simply raised an eyebrow at her as if to say ‘there are never going to be any juicy details in that relationship.  
“I expect you’re going to get married in the next year or so, then?”  
At this, all the Gryffindors turned to look at Draco who was currently finding the wall behind Harry’s head incredibly fascinating.

Seamus Finnegan had a particularly puzzled look and suddenly blurted out:  
“You’re straight?”  
Draco scoffed at this and wrinkled his nose as his cup of pumpkin juice contained large amounts of pus from a troll.  
“Oh fuck no, Merlin forbid.”

At this, the Slytherins, Seamus and Dean all started to laugh. Draco noticed that Weasley and Granger had made eye contact and seemed to be having a secret and silent conversation, Longbottom seemed to be nudging Dean, trying to get him to explain what was so funny and Potter…Potter looked as if he had only just found out that he was a wizard. The extreme look of puzzlement and shock on his face made Draco want to laugh, but he decided that laughing at the Saviour of the Wizarding World just a few months after he prevented Draco getting thrown into Azkaban would be considered ‘rude’ and ‘ungrateful’. 

“So how come you’re marrying a woman, then” Dean asked, causing all the Gryffindors to go quiet again and look at him.

“A Malfoy does not marry for love. And given the events of last year…it’s a miracle anyone wants to marry me at all and so I have to accept anyone willing, whatever their gender.” Malfoy turned back to his food. He was really in the mood to have a long discussion about his future platonic-marriage. He half hoped that the Gryffindors would go back to having their own conversations about whatever it was they talked about, and ignore the Slytherins. But when was Malfoy ever that lucky.

“I’m sure that’s not true Malfoy.”  
Draco looked up to see the intense green gaze of Potter again, who had just spoken and was clearly waiting for a response.

“What’s not true, Potter?”  
“I’m sure you could find a guy to marry you.”  
At this Pansy let out a little giggle and even Granger smirked. The two of them seemed to be having a secret, non-verbal conversation.

“Well, if you ever meet these hypothetical men, please feel free to send them my way Potter. Now if that’s all, I’d rather like to stop discussing my love life or rather, lack-thereof.”

Pansy was the first to speak next. “Since Draco has been so kind as to share details about his poor, pathetic love life, it seems only right that a Gryffindor also joins in on this lovely conversation.

“Dean and I-” Seamus started.

“Finnegan I’m pretty sure even the muggles in Australia are aware that you and Thomas are shagging. No not you either, Weasley. You and Granger are pretty obviously together as well. I think what we need is some juicy gossip. Someone we don’t already know about like…Potter.”


	4. Pansy Parkinson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pansy interrogates Harry over his love life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh my life is so hectic I’m barely managing to squeeze out these tiny chapters. I keep meaning to write some in advance but I never have time. Sorry these updates are tiny

Harry looked around at his fellow Gryffindors, hoping one of them would jump in and stop him from having to answer Pansy’s questions. Unfortunately, as he liked to try and keep his private life private, to ensure the Daily Prophet didn’t find out, they knew almost as little as the Slytherins.

He sighed, realising that nobody was going to save him, and put down his pumpkin juice. “What exactly is it you want to know, Parkinson?”

“Well, we know you and the she-weasel broke up. I’m pretty sure everyone in within Wizarding Britain knows that. Merlin knows the Daily Prophet went on about it for a solid month. Although I suppose what with you eradicating all evil from the world, you have rather cruelly robbed them of all news-worthy stories so it really is the least you could do.”  
Harry had thought he noticed Draco’s eyes snap up to him just as Pansy mentioned his breakup with Ginny, but he was now staring at his plate so Harry wasn’t entirely sure.  
He had half a mind to laugh at Pansy’s joke, however this did not feel like the time to encourage her any more.

“I haven’t dated anyone since Ginny if that’s what you want to know.” Harry didn’t mentioned that, whilst he hadn’t dated anyone per say, he had certainly hooked up with lots of muggles in clubs and bars over the summer.  
“And there’s nobody else you’re attracted to?”  
“No.” Harry replied quickly. Had it been too quickly? He didn’t want her to think that he was trying to hide something, but Pansy looked at him for a second and didn’t say anything else.

They finished the rest of the meal relatively quickly. Harry was walking out the Great Hall behind Ron and Hermione when he felt a tap on his arm. He turned to see Pansy stood behind him. She looked more friendly than she had at the meal. More genuine and relaxed. Harry turned back to Ron and Hermione to tell them to go ahead without him, but they already had, clearly so deep into their conversation that they hadn’t noticed that there was one less pair of footsteps echoing up the stairs.

“What is it, Parkinson?” He was still cautious just in case she wanted to continue the earlier conversation and squeeze any gossip o7t of him. But her face softened and she said “I know.”

“Know what?” Harry asked, at first perplexed and then slightly nervous

“That you’re gay. Or at least not straight anyway. You could be bi or pan or- but anyway the point is I know and I’m guessing that none of your friends do. I know we haven’t exactly had the best relationship but I’ve been through all of the crappy awkward coming out before and if you ever need anyone to talk to about it, I would be happy to.”

Harry took a moment before asking, “Why?”

Pansy looked confused at the question before answering: “because you’ve done so much for everyone else that you deserve something for yourself and to be happy, and I fear that if nobody was there to help you understand who you are, you would bury your head in the sand and just be what ‘the public’ wants you to be....that and you need some help if you’re going to enter into the world of dating. It’s all well and good being with somebody who you’ve know since you were little and skipped that first awkward stage of getting-to-know-each-other with, but now you’re actually going to need to be able to function as a human. As amazing as you’re friend Granger is, she went through difficult stuff like you and is also going to have to readjust her life now, both much more drastically than the regular person, so relying on her for all your life worries right now might not be the best solution for either of you.”

Harry stared at her. He didn’t quite know what to say. How had she known? And how was she saying all this crazy stuff that all made perfect sense and was actual quite simple. 

He supposed he was right. He didn’t know the first thing about dating. He wasn’t sure he ever had. Ginny and him never dated properly cause the war kind of eliminated the possibility of popping into Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop. 

Then there was Cho and him which had been a disaster. Looking back he felt a twinge of guilt at how annoying he always found Cho’s crying. Of course she was going to be sad. What right did he had to dictate her emotions. Maybe he was just emotionally constipated. None of his hook-ups had ever progressed further than perhaps a good morning if he accidentally spent the night attention somebodies. 

He sighed and then said: “Okay so what is your plan then?” 


End file.
